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Can Gluten Sensitivity Cause Insomnia?

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Two wood bowls with flour and wheat germ

Sleep disturbances like insomnia are common in people with celiac disease. Over time, the inflammatory effects of gluten prevent the small intestine from absorbing nutrients. This can have consequences for sleep and overall health.

“For someone with celiac disease, there’s lots of inflammation with gluten consumption,” says Jessica Jurcak, RD, registered dietitian and Manager of Whole Health and Well-Being for University Hospitals. And it doesn’t just affect people with celiac disease. Some people who are sensitive to gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye – can have a range of symptoms similar to celiac disease, including insomnia.

Inflammation and Sleep Quality

Inflammation can wreak havoc on sleep quality in several ways:

  • It harms gut microbiome, the colonies of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract that play a role in nutrition, immune function, metabolism and mental health. Lack of sleep can trigger changes in the microbiome and vice versa.
  • The gut produces lots of serotonin, a neurotransmitter important to sleep. Inflammation can hurt serotonin production.
  • Absorption issues include minerals essential to sleep. Calcium can affect production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Magnesium and potassium also play a role in sleep.

The Sleep Benefits of a Gluten-Free Diet

Evidence shows that a gluten-free diet can help improve sleep quality for people with celiac disease. A gluten-free diet could also help people with gluten sensitivity who are dealing with insomnia, says Jurcak.

“It’s difficult to jump to conclusions that gluten is the one thing causing insomnia in people with gluten sensitivity, but there’s definitely something to it,” says Jurcak. People with a suspected non-celiac gluten sensitivity may want to try a gluten elimination diet for 4-6 weeks to see how it affects their insomnia and other symptoms.

“You have to remove gluten from the diet completely to see if it alleviates the symptoms you’re experiencing,” she says. “If your doctors confirm it’s not celiac disease with a blood test, but we suspect gluten sensitivity, we’ll want to do an elimination diet where the patient keeps a log of food, sleep and symptoms, and works with a dietitian. Then we slowly reintroduce gluten to see if there’s an impact on sleep and other issues.”

She also recommends lifestyle changes to help improve sleep quality:

  • Don’t eat too close to bedtime.
  • Avoid caffeine and alcohol, especially within 3 hours before bedtime.
  • Limit high fat and high sugar foods, which may disrupt sleep.
  • Keep the bedroom as dark as possible.
  • Adopt routine sleep and wake times, even on weekends.
  • Get brighter light first thing upon waking; reduce/lower lights in the evening.
  • Keep the bedroom cool at night, low-mid 60s preferred.

“Patients can work with a dietitian and a health coach to help implement these lifestyle changes,” says Jurcak. People with clinically diagnosed insomnia may benefit from other intensive therapies with a behavioral sleep medicine specialist.

Related Links

University Hospitals has a team of clinical dietitians with the expertise to provide counseling and personalized eating plans for anyone looking to enhance their health, meet nutritional goals or lose weight safely and effectively.

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